MODAL VERBS

I. Form:
Type 1 Type 2
Positive form S + Modal Verb + Verb S + Modal Verb + have P2
(Câu khẳng
định)
Negative form S + Modal Verb + not + Verb S + Modal Verb not + have P2
(Câu phủ định)
Interrogative Modal Verb + S + Verb? Modal Verb + S + have P2?
form
(Câu hỏi/nghi
vấn)

II. Use:
1. Type 1:
1.1 Ability: ‘can’ and ‘could’: We use ‘could’ for general ability, to say that
somebody was able to do something at any time. (chỉ khả năng có thể làm được
việc gì)
Example: When I was younger, I could run 10km in under 40 minutes.
I can speak three languages,
1.2 Permission: ‘can, could, may’ and ‘might’ (chỉ sự cho phép làm gì)
Example: May I use your phone? May I help you? Might I make a
suggestion?
Can/Could I have some more tea? Excuse me - can/could I just
get past?
1.3 Obligation: ‘Must’ and ‘have (got) to’ ‘Must’ and ‘have (got) to’ both
express necessity and obligation. (chỉ việc cần thiết hoặc bắt buộc làm gì do
bổn phận hoặc trách nhiệm)
Example: ‘I must apply for a visa this week.’ OR ‘l have to apply for a visa
this week.’
‘We must leave now.’ OR ‘We've got to leave now.’
1.4 Certainty: ‘must’, ‘can’t’, ‘will’, ‘should’: We say that something must be
true if we are certain, not from direct experience, not from deduction: from
thinking about it logically. (chỉ độ chắc chắn về phỏng đoán việc gì)
Example: She must be at home - her car's outside and the lights are on.

1.5 Probability and Possibility: ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘can’, ‘could’ (chỉ khả năng có
thể xảy ra trong tương lai)
Example: Let’s hurry - the shop may still be open.
It might/could rain later, but I don't really think it will
2. Type 2: ‘May have gone’, ‘should have told’: Modal verbs with perfect
infinitives are used mostly to talk about 'unreal' past situations. (chỉ về một khả
năng không có thực về một việc trong quá khứ)
Example: You should have been here an hour ago. (But you weren’t.)
Alice oughtn't to have bought that car. (But she did.)
 I was so angry I could have killed her. (But I didn’t.)

PRACTICE
EXERCISE 1:
Exercise 1. Choose the best option for each sentence:
1) Young people ______ obey their parents.
a. must
b. may
c. will
d. ought to
2) Laura, you and the kids just have dinner without waiting for me. I ______ work
very hard today.
a. can
b. may
c. should
d. would
3) I ______ be delighted to show you round the factory.
a. ought to
b. would
c. might
d. can
4) Leave early so that you ______ miss the bus.
a. didn’t
b. won’t
c. shouldn’t
d. mustn’t
5) Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It ______ have cost a fortune
a. must
b. might
c. will
d. should
6) You ______ to write them today.
a. should
b. must
c. had
d. ought
7) I hope I ______ find it.
a. will
b. shall
c. could
d. must
8) Unless he runs he______ catch the train.
a. will
b. mustn’t
c. wouldn’t
d. won’t
9) ______ you be in Rome tonight.
a. will
b. may
c. might
d. maybe
10) We ______ have time to help you tomorrow.
a. may
b. must
c. will
d. could.
11) "______ you hand me that pair of scissors, please?"
a. May
b. Will
c. Shall
d. Should
12) Jeanette did very badly on the exam. She _____ harder.
a. must have studied
b. should have studied
c. could have studied
d. must studied
13) He was very lucky when he fell off the ladder. He _____ himself.
a. could have hurt
b. should have hurt
c. must have hurt
d. will have hurt
14) Marcela didn't come to class yesterday. She _____ an accident.
a. should have had
b. might have
c. must have
d. may have had
15) John still hasn't come out. He ______ everything for the trip now.
a. must have been preparing
b. will be preparing
c. must be preparing
d. will have prepared
16) Thomas received a warning for speeding. He _____ so fast.
a. shouldn't have driven
b. would have driven
c. should have
d. might have driven
17) The photos are black. The X-ray at the airport _____ them.
a. should have damaged
b. would have damaged
c. would damage
d. must have damaged
18) Tom didn't do his homework, so the teacher became very angry. He _____ his
homework.
a. must have done
b. should have done
c. might have
d. will have done
19) My car stopped on the high way. It _____ out of gas
a. may run
b. may have run
c. must be
d. should have run
20) Robert arrived without his book. He _____ it.
a. could have lost
b. should have lost
c. would have lost
d. will have lost

EXERCISE 2
Fill in the blanks using MUST, MUSTN’T, DON’T HAVE TO, SHOULD,
SHOULDN’T, MIGHT, CAN, CAN’T
1. Rose and Ted _________________ be good players. They have won hundreds of
cups !
2. You _________________ pay to use the library. It’s free.
3. I’m not sure where my wife is at the moment. She ___________ be at her dance
class.
4. Jerry _________________ be working today. He never works on Sundays.
5. You _________________ be 18 to see that film.
6. You _________________ hear this story. It’s very funny.
7. Dad _______________ go and see a doctor. His cough is getting worse all the time
8. You don’t have to shout. I ________________ hear you very well.
9. It _________________ be him. I saw him a week ago, and he didn’t look like that.
10. You look pretty tired. I think you ________________ go to bed early tonight.

EXERCISE 3: Rewrite the sentences, using the suggested words without

changing their meaning.
1. Perhaps Susan knows the address. (may)
⇒ Susan_______________________________________________
2. It’s possible that Joanna didn’t receive my message. (might)
⇒ Joanna ______________________________________________
3. The report must be on my desk tomorrow. (has)
⇒ The report ___________________________________________
4. I managed to finish all my work. (able)
⇒ I___________________________________________________
5. It was not necessary for Nancy to clean the flat. (didn’t)
⇒ Nancy_
Đáp án:

EXERCISE 1
1-a 2-c 3-b 4-b 5-a
6-c 7-b 8-c 9-a 10 - c
11 - a 12 - b 13 - a 14 - d 15 - c
16 - a 17 - d 18 - b 19 - b 20 - a
EXERCISE 2
1. must
2. don’t have to
3. might
4. can’t
5. must
6. must
7. should
8. can
9. can’t
10. should

EXERCISE 3
1. Susan may know the address.
2. Joanna mightn’t have received my message.
3. The report has to be on my desk tomorrow.
4. I was able to finish all my work.
5. Nancy didn’t need to clean the flat.